Dental Bridges
All of your teeth play an important role in speaking, chewing, and maintaining the proper alignment of other teeth. Tooth loss doesn’t necessarily have to occur as you age, but if you do lose teeth they must be replaced to maintain the proper function of your mouth. Fortunately, there are options for correcting tooth loss.
Dental Bridge Options
A dental bridge — a restoration used to naturally replace missing teeth.
Fixed bridges attach artificial teeth to adjacent natural teeth. The term fixed means it is permanently cemented and can’t be removed. It entails preparing teeth adjacent to the space and then placing crowns on the supporting teeth joined by the replacement teeth all as one unit. It can be a great option for someone who does not have adequate bone for implants or who has teeth adjacent to a missing tooth that are in need of large restorations and could benefit from crowns.
Proper preparation and placement of a bridge take several appointments with Dr. Colaruotolo. In most cases, a temporary bridge can be fabricated while waiting for the final one. Maintaining hygiene around a bridge is imperative to its lifespan. Proper hygiene instructions will be given to you when the bridge is delivered.
Why do I need a dental bridge?
If you’re missing one or more teeth, you may be aware of their importance to your appearance and dental health. Your teeth work together for many daily functions from eating to speaking. With missing teeth, it’s difficult to do these things. Missing teeth can cause speech disorders as they are used to make many of the sounds we use to speak clearly. A bridge helps support your lips, cheeks and speech. The loss of a back tooth may cause your mouth to sink and your face to look older.
Missing teeth can cause speech disorders as they are used to make many of the sounds we use to speak clearly.
Implant bridge
An implant bridge is one that is supported by dental implants, not natural teeth Similar to a tooth-supported fixed bridge, an implant-supported bridge replaces one or more missing teeth. The number of teeth replaced per implant depends on the quality of the bone and the length or span of missing teeth. This is an excellent option for people who are missing more than two teeth in a row and who are looking for a more permanent and stable long-term solution. Most implants that remain integrated into the bone after eighteen months have very good long-term prognoses.
How do I take care of my bridge?
A strict regimen of brushing and flossing will keep the bridge and surrounding teeth clean. This is of critical importance as the bridge relies on the neighboring teeth for support.
For more information on bridges, please follow the links below or give our office at BC Dental Design Phone Number (585) 385-5940: